Army jawan shoots himself in Hyderabad, torture blamed for suicide

Hyderabad: The news of his suicide has left Appalaraju’s family  in a state of shock. They alleged that though Appalaraju was innocent, the cops and the Army officials tortured him to make him confess to the crime.

“He had gone back to the camp after visiting us when the incident took place. He is not a criminal and will never do such a thing. But his senior officials and police tortured him,” said Appalaraju’s wife Anasuya. Appalaraju had been in the service for  15 years and was a good person, she added.

His 65-year-old mother B. Mutyalamma said, “I never thought that my brave son would take such an extreme step. We are in shock and strongly believe that police torture had drove son to commit suicide.”

Read: Suicide not a sign of guilt, says Army

Appalaraju, a native of Ramalayamveedhi in Penduruthimandalam of Vizag, has two children. His eight-year-old son Nishant and daughter Pranitha, 2, came to Hyderabad with their mother and uncle to receive his body.

He had called his brother several times in the last one week, and had reportedly talked about the torture he was undergoing at the Army camp.

“My brother called me and told me about how he was harassed by the police and Army officials. He told me that he did not commit any crime, but no one was listening to him,” Appalaraju’s brother P. Satyanarayana said. “This is what he got for serving the country for 15 years. We want justice,” he added.

Appalaraju, a SSC pass out, had joined in the Indian Army around 15-years ago and had married Ms Anasuya in 2006. He was posted in Jaipur, before he came to Hyderabad. He has been in the garrison for the past two years.